Truly, Madly, Deeply
by nickersoncrazy
Summary: Oneshot following 'Flesh And Blood'. After walking through both, the petals and thorns in their relationship, this inseparable couple are still holding on, still going strong...NancyNed fluff!


Hi again :)

This story follows 'Flesh And Blood' :) You _know_ what I'm going to say - read and review!

Disclaimer(s) : I do not own Johhny Depp (dang!), Nancy Drew, Bess, Steven Spielberg, the rights to 'War Of The Worlds' and everything else that I can't think of right now. Oh, I don't own Ned Nickerson as well _( - tear - ) _Maybe someday, someway I will...lol :D

_Claimer_, for a change: Matt's _all _mine! lol...

This story was initially under boyzaremylife's penname because...well, I wrote it and emailed it to her and when she emailed it back, it didn't quite work out and since she had the corrected version, she posted it, I copied it, she deleted it off her penname and I shifted it under mine ( whew ) - so if it seems familiar, you probably read it there :)

A/N: I know this whole thing is an A/N but this actually has something to do with this story. Anyway, this is just to tell you that Nancy and Ned are giong to seem like a couple of teenagers rather than parents...just thought I should warn you!

Here's why I'm not updating AYCB? ( the title's just too long for me to say it...) for those who asked : I think I'm VERY confused. Aren't you confused...? Idk...I'll update as soon as I figure out what that story's all about...j/k. Please just give me a little time, especially now that I'll think I'll be online only during weekends.

I'm gonna glue my mouth shut now :)

* * *

"Daddy?" 

Ned groaned softly and nestled in closer to Nancy. He'd had a long, tiring day and for the first time in the past week he had found the chance to sleep at night. As much as he loved his family, he was beat from running after his son to get him to eat something other than candy – at which he was yet to be successful - to looking after his pregnant wife.

"Daddy?" Ned heard a soft, young voice call out again into the dark. He turned over and sleepily opened an eye to see his three year old son standing by the edge of the bed.

"Matt? What happened?" he whispered, careful not to wake his wife.

"I want to sleep here," Matt said and crawled onto the bed. "There's an alle – alli -?"

"Alien?"

"Yes, yes," he said and his eyes widened with fear. "There's an alien under my bed."

"Oh, Matt," Ned mumbled and gently pushed Nancy away from him to make room for him in between.

"No, no. I want to sleep in the corner so I can run if alien come to catch me."

Ned carried Matt in his arms and set him in between him and Nancy. "Matt there are _no_ aliens here," he said, ruffling his son's hair affectionately. "The only thing that's alien - like in this house is your mother when she's wearing one of her facial masks." Ned grinned as he saw Matt smile in the dark. "Don't tell her I said that, though."

"Okay," Matt replied and snuggled closer to him.

Silence followed for the next few minutes.

"Daddy?" Matt shook his father's arm just when he was drifting off to sleep.

"What?" Ned asked tiredly.

"Why Mommy tummy so big?" he asked innocently. "What she eat?"

"That's your baby brother or sister in there, Matt," Ned explained softly and smiled fondly at the thought that there'd be a new family member in the next few months.

"How did it come?"

Suddenly Ned was wide awake. "How – how did it come?" he asked nervously.

Matt nodded. "Did the birdie bring it?"

"The birdie – oh, you mean the stork," he said and calmed down. " Yes, yes, the stork did bring it. How did you know?"

"It's in all the cartoons," Matt answered nonchalantly and then giggled suddenly. "Mommy's becoming Santa Claus. She got his tummy."

Ned grinned again. "Yeah, so you'd better be a good little boy or no presents this year, okay?"

"Okay."

A little while later, Matt fell asleep, sandwiched between his parents.

Minutes later, Ned fell asleep with one arm around Matt and another reaching out to hold Nancy's hand, feeling like the luckiest man in the world.

--

"Ow," Nancy yelped suddenly the next morning and she woke up with a jerk.

"Nan, you okay?" Ned asked as soon as he heard her. He'd become a very light sleeper, having to be there for Nancy at all times of the day and night whenever she had any pains.

"Oh, yeah - baby's kicking," she explained, yawning. "Sorry for waking you. Hey – what's Matt doing here?" she asked when she noticed Matt for the first time.

"You'd know the answer to that if you weren't sleeping like a log last night," Ned teased and leaned over to kiss her gently.

"Hey!" she protested after he pulled back. " I need all the rest I can get, not to mention the attention." She grinned. "So, Matt had a nightmare?"

"Oh, no, just a few aliens under his bed."

"Aliens?" Nancy laughed.

"Shhh – don't wake him up," Ned said, as Matt turned over onto his side. " He's an angel – when he's asleep. And when he's awake…well, you know the story."

Nancy laughed, softly this time. "Let me guess, hm…aliens?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "You watched another Spielberg movie after I went to bed last night, didn't you?"

"Maybe," Ned said and grinned sheepishly. "Okay, yeah - War Of The Worlds."

"Ned, I can't believe you'd watch that with a three year old," she said. "That must have scared the living daylights out of Matt. Are you crazy?"

"In general? No," Ned answered. "About you, I am." He smiled softly.

Aww…don't you try to soften me up, Nickerson!"

Ned shot her a wicked grin. "It's working though, isn't it?"

Nancy reached out and squeezed Ned's hand gently. "I love you," she whispered softly.

"I love you, too, baby." He leaned over Matt and kissed her again.

"Wow, why don't we do more of that?" Nancy murmured against his lips.

"Whatever you say." He kissed her again, deep and intense, this time.

Nancy pulled back after a moment, starry eyed and in a daze. "Wow."

Ned smiled at her and lay back on his pillow.

"Hey, Nan?" he said after a while. "What are you hoping for? Girl baby or boy?"

Nancy shrugged. "Hm…girl, I think. We already have one boy." She laughed. "And trust me, I think one boy is definitely more than enough. You?"

"Either," Ned answered. "Although if Matt _is_ going to have a sister, all I can say is…well, brace yourself for World War III right here!"

"He has a way of getting what he wants, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, you've spoilt him rotten."

"Me?" Nancy asked feigning shock. "I've spoilt him?"

"Yeah," Ned said, shrugging. "I wasn't with him for the first two years of his life, was I?"

That upset Nancy a little bit. They had both tried as far as possible not to bring up that old episode but Ned just had. Those words brought back nothing but painful memories. When Ned had walked away from her…the suicide attempt – there wasn't anything pleasant to think about. "Hey – I'm really sorry," she said, softly.

"Oh, Nan, no – I'm sorry," he said. "It's just a little…difficult to forget and well, you can't really blame me."

"I understand," she said. "But you love me, don't you?"

"More than anything else in the whole, wide world."

"Good to know," she said flashing him a content smile.

Ned smiled back leaned over, once again and gently nuzzled her neck. "Baby, you make me so happy," he murmured.

Nancy laughed softly and pulled back to gaze into his eyes. "What can I say…it's part of my job."

"Well, then, I'm never going to fire you."

"Oh, you'd better not."

--

Later that day, after chasing Matt around an hour to get him to have a bath, Nancy curled up with Ned on the couch, while Matt sprawled out on the floor, watching TV, while his parents made out as silently as they possibly could.

"You know, you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Ned whispered in her ear.

"I know," Nancy said and chuckled.

"Hey, you're supposed to say something nice, too."

"Okay, let's see…you are the most handsome guy in the whole world."

"The most?"

"Besides Johnny Depp, yeah," she answered and grinned.

Great," Ned muttered and rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. "My wife's in love with a pirate."

"But you _are_ the sweetest, most caring, most sensitive, loving husband a girl can ever dream of," Nancy said and kissed him on the cheek. "And I love you, just the way you are." She snuggled deeper into his arms.

"I love you, too," Ned replied, gently fondling her cheek.

They lay down together in silence, just enjoying the warmth of being together, grateful that Matt had a distraction.

"Look at Matt," Nancy whispered, nudging Ned in the ribs.

Ned laughed as he watched Matt stuff a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

"Matt?" he said. "Why bother using a spoon, would you like a shovel instead?"

"Okay," Matt mumbled, unable to tear his eyes away from the TV screen.

"That boy is a bottomless pit," Nancy commented. "He is definitely your son."

Ned grinned. "Can't deny that."

"He's so sweet, isn't he?"

"Of course he is, like you said - he _is_ my son."

"Oh, no, no – that's where I come into play, buddy," she said and whacked him in the ribs. "He takes after me."

"You wish."

"Are you saying that I'm not sweet?" Nancy asked with mock hurt.

Ned kissed her gently. "Of course you are – not as sweet as me, though – but you know that." He grinned and rested his head on her shoulder, dropping a kiss against it.

Nancy rolled her eyes. "Have it your way."

"Like always."

"Like always." Nancy answered.

Suddenly a commercial came on and Matt got up from the floor, wiped his chocolate smeared cheek and began to pull at Ned's leg.

"What do you want, Matt?" Ned asked as Nancy wrapped an arm around neck. "Stop making out in front of him," he murmured to Nancy.

"Get up, Daddy," he said and climbed on top of him.

"Ow, Matt – you're not as light as a feather, you know."

Matt made a sad, lost and lonely puppy dog face to his mother. "Mommy, Daddy saying me fat."

Nancy whacked Ned again. "How dare you?" she growled. She pulled Matt into her arms. "You're not fat, baby – you're just so chubby and that's adorable."

"But you fat, Mommy," Matt said, pointing to her stomach and Ned began to laugh.

"That's not-" Nancy began but stopped. "Oh, you're not going to understand."

"Matt?" Ned said.

"What?"

"Be a sweetheart and get off me, will you?" Ned said, smiling.

"But I want to lie down on Mommy's lap," Matt said, frowning. "Move, Daddy, please?" Matt gave Ned a sugary smile.

"I want to lie on Mommy – I mean Nancy's shoulder," Ned said and frowned playfully back at Matt.

"Ahh..two guys fighting over me…what more can I ask for?" Nancy said, closing her eyes.

"Who you want, Mommy – me or Daddy?"

"Aww…you guys are cute," Nancy said, hugging them together.

"But I'm _cuter_," Matt said and pushed Ned off the couch, curling up on Nancy's lap.

"And he's modest, too," Ned pointed out, tickling him until he shrieked.

"See?" Matt said proudly. "Mommy 'uve me more than Mommy 'uve you."

"I do, Matt," Nancy said, winking at Ned.

"Oh, all right," Ned said and sighed dramatically, playing along. "I guess I'll just return that diamond necklace I bought you."

"I love you," Nancy said immediately, forgetting everything else. "I love you, I love you, I love you so much. Where's the necklace?"

"Oh, you material girl!"

Matt rolled his eyes. "Daddy's _lying_, Mommy," he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Aw, well in that case, I hate you," Nancy said, pretending to be disappointed and Matt giggled "And_ you_ are a very bad boy," Matt,she said, tapping her finger on his nose. "But one day, when you get married, I hope you have a son that is just like you."

"Whoa, Matt's not going to get married," Ned said. He's never going to leave his Daddy, are you, Matt?"

Matt shook his head. "Me never going to leave Daddy," he said. "Mommy, too."

Nancy rolled her eyes and smiled at Ned. "That's what I used to tell my father when I was little," she said and glared at Ned. "But look who I'm stuck with now."

"You have no idea how lucky you are to have me," Ned said.

Nancy chuckled. "I know."

--

_(Months later_)

"Okay, okay," Ned said pacing the floor of the hospital room. "Don't – don't be nervous – just be like me, okay?"

"You are nervous, Ned," Nancy said and smiled a little.

Ned took a deep breath. "Okay – maybe I am," he admitted. "But _you_ don't get nervous."

Nancy threw her hands in the air desperately. "You're _making _me nervous."

"Sorry," Ned said and walked over to her bed and shook his head disbelievingly. "I can't believe how cool you're being about giving birth. I mean – aren't you the least bit nervous?"

"Sheesh, Nickerson – I'm not nervous, not at all," she said and gulped slightly. "Just - just scared to death, that's all – not nervous."

"Oh, so you're not Wonder Woman, after all."

"Is it going to hurt?"

"How am _I_ supposed to know?" Ned said. He forced himself to calm down and took her hand in his and she squeezed hard. "Nan, you've been through this before – and I wasn't even with you then. But I am now, so you have nothing to worry about. Understand?" he said softly.

Nancy pulled his head down for a kiss. "I love you. You know that, don't you?"

Ned smiled and nodded. "I love you, too, darling. Don't ever forget that."

Nancy smiled and there were tears in her eyes. "Just keep reminding me and I never will."

Ned leaned down and kissed her gently. "Done," he replied softly.

--

Bess squealed as soon as the nurse turned around and left. "Oh my God," she said and squealed again.

Matt looked up at her. "Did some doggie bite you, Aunt Bess?" he asked innocently.

"No, silly! You've got a baby sister – congratulations."

"Girl?"

"Yeah, girl."

"Where's it?"

"Inside – let's go see her," Bess said and pulled Matt of the chair in the hospital waiting room. She knocked softly on Nancy's door and opened it.

"Hi, Nan," she said softly.

Nancy and Ned turned around.

Aww…she's so cute," Bess whispered and walked over to them, gently taking the baby from Ned.

"I know," Nancy whispered back with happy tears in her eyes.

Ned hugged her gently. "Just what you wanted – baby girl," he whispered.

"Why are you whispering?" Matt asked loudly.

"Matt, come look at your sister," Ned said.

"I can't see," Matt complained, standing on his tiptoes.

Bess gave back the baby to Ned and carried Matt in her arms so that he could see.

"Ohh…what's that?" Matt asked fascinated, gently poking the baby's cheek with his finger.

"That's your sister," Ned said and gently kissed the baby.

"The birdie finally brought it!" Matt said happily and clapped his hands with delight.

"Okay, Matt," Bess said. "Let's go out and let your parents get all lovey – dovey in peace." She shot them both wicked grins before she closed the door behind her.

Ned kissed Nancy gently on the forehead when they were out of sight. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Ned."

"Thank you, Nancy."

Nancy's eyes filled with tears. "What for?"

"For – for everything," Ned answered and kissed her again. "For giving me the best family in the world, for making me the happiest person."

Nancy smiled. "What can I say…it's part of my job."

And their lips touched in a kiss that left them breathless.

* * *

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nickersoncrazy:,,,!


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